And Away We Go

Our big Christmas gift to the kids last year was…a trip to Disney World.

I NEVER thought I would go to Disney World. We only live an hour from Disneyland and I just couldn’t see us ever spending the money for a trip to Orlando when — again — Disneyland is practically down the street. But I was invited to attend a conference at Disney World, and one of the perks of the conference is ridiculous discounts on tickets, hotels, food, the works. AND — it includes a three-day Disney cruise. After going back and forth about it with Mike (the kids would have to miss school) we decided to go for it.

We told the kids by wrapping up a box of little Disney trinkets from the Dollar Store, plus I put together a few characters and I made a countdown paper chain.

It took me an hour to put those together, and they were destroyed in minutes. Grumble.

Paper characters and the paper chain.

They were really confused when they first opened the box. “What is all this paper?” Annie asked. But when we explained we were going to Disney World and on a Disney Cruise they flipped out. As they should.

A paper chain was absolutely the most brilliant thing I put in the box. It’s saved me countless questions of, “How many days until we leave?” I’m going to do paper chains for EVERY big event from now on.

The kids have done a ton of planning and research, thanks to YouTube Kids. This also really fed into James’ obsession with the Tower of Terror ride. Did you know there’s actually a Tower of Terror movie? WELL THERE IS. AND WE HAVE WATCHED IT MANY MANY TIMES. It’s some of Steve Guttenberg’s finest work. James has been talking about going on the Tower of Terror so much, in fact, that even his friends are excited for him.

Case in point:

There are only six days left in the paper chain! I supposed I should, oh, start packing? For those of you who have been to Disney World or on a Disney Cruise, drop some knowledge on me. What’s the one thing I shouldn’t forget? Besides Dramamine, because Heather + Cruise = seasick.

Laurel says:

We just back from 2 days Disney followed by a 3 night Disney cruise. The cruise was awesome with so much to do. My kids are still pretty little so we definitely didn’t get to take advantage of all it has to offer, but we’ll go again when they’re older. Have a blast!

Cristy S says:

Disney World is a completely different experience. World Showcase in Epcot is incredible, and animal kingdom doesn’t disappoint. The cruise… just soak up every moment. Read the daily schedule- there is so much to do. I loved the the animation class. Let the kids enjoy the kids club while you and Mike soak up time in the adult pool and entertainment areas. The shows are awesome too. And if you think you’ll do it again, book a placeholder at the future reservations desk. You’ll pay $250 down (unless they hiked that too) for a “dummy cruise”. You’ll get 10% off when you do eventually book a real cruise and an on board credit depending on how long your sailing is. You have to sail within two years and if you don’t, you get he money back. If you have any questions feel free to reach out. Happy to help! I hope you live cruising like my family does!

Cristy S says:

Heather says:

Get the patch from your doctor for motion sickness! I get seasick so easily but have done 3 Disney cruises with the patch. I’ve done better than the rest of my family! Leaving the port tends to be rough so be prepared that first night. Disney Cruses are the best!

Shawna says:

Wow! If you get seasick like I do, have your doctor call in a prescription for the patch. It is something from heaven and you will enjoy your cruise. I’ve tried EVERYTHING else, and this is the only definitive fix for seasickness. Have a fabulous time!

Girl, get you the seasickness patch!! Have your doctor call it in. It is amazing – and works way better than dramamine. And you don’t have to remember to take it. I get seasick on a floating dock on a lake, and felt nothing on my cruises with the patch.

We just went to WDW 2 weeks ago … the weather was great. It was more crowded than I expected, unfortunately, but we still had a ball. The new Pandora ride at AK was amazing. The food (and drinks) in the Pandora area were also delicious. We love the Lion King show at AK too. We easily did HS in a half day. Get to the parks early … we did our best riding with the least waiting in the mornings. Watching MK fireworks from the hotels across the lake is way better than being in the park in my opinion. If you have dinner at the Contemporary, Poly, or GF, you can watch the fireworks with a drink and dessert, without the crowds (and at 8pm since it’s winter, which is awesome). We ate and drank so well while we were there … I am still recovering. Haha.

We’ve done 2 Disney Cruises and both were SO great. If you can grab a reservation, have brunch at the adults only restaurant, Palo, on the cruise. It is delicious. Kids can enjoy kids’ club while you eat. You can order mickey bars and fun treats (warm cookies and milk!) from room service on the cruise … for no additional cost. Pack your pirate costumes for pirate night! It’s so fun when everyone dresses up. Get on board with the EARLIEST boarding time possible. It will be *crowded* upon departure. But it’s much easier to handle if you’ve been on board for a few hours before the crowds, enjoying the pool and having a few beverages. There is so much fun stuff to do on board; don’t sweat it if you don’t get to do it all. Check out the calendar (the “navigator”) each morning and pick some favorites. You will have so much fun!! I want to go back so bad!

Damita says:

It’s been years since I’ve been to Disney World, but friends who have gone recently say to invest in the Fast Pass(es). I don’t know if Disneyland has those, but I assume they do? There’s also a group on Facebook of Disney fanatics. They may be able to give you lots of good tips.

Allison Pela says:

Ask your PCP to write you a script for sublingual Zofran. I have severe motion sickness and felt great on a 7 day cruise thanks to Zofran every 8 hours. The sublingual version works faster IMO. Bring refillable water bottles/hydroflasks. Constantly going back and forth to water stations for tiny cups of water isn’t exactly a good time.

Deena says:

Welcome in advance to my side of the world. We had annual passes for three years to WDW and just let them expire in November. The boat ride in Pandora at AK is not worth waiting in line for. The Toy Story ride at HS always has a long wait so I hope you were able to get a FP for it. I’ve been to Disneyland twice and I personally liked it better because it’s smaller and more manageable. And I grew up in Orlando! Good luck! It’s going to be hot and probably crowded. Oh, but I think EPCOT has something going on, with food or art or something fun.

Cynthia says:

Based on being in a DL planning group… It is INSANE how much people plan in Florida! They pre-book fast passes like months in advance. My only advice (being a Disneyland afficionado) is that both Epcot & Animal Kingdom are pretty amazing. Magic Kingdom is also great, and lots of differences from DL but I just really loved the other 2 parks. Epcot is not so amazing for kids necessarily, but I absolutely loved it as an adult. I got a drink in every country. ? The Lion King show (assuming it is still there), safari ride, and Expedition Everest are all must-dos at AK.
I would love to do the cruise, looking forward to your experience.

Lesley Wake says:

Oh you will love it! I am a SoCal native with Disneyland AP. I went to Disneyworld for the first time last September (during the hurricane)! And it was great! I still feel like Disneyland is “home” but love Disneyworld too and am actually going back again in 2 weeks (looks like we won’t overlap unfortunately because I arrive Feb 28), and have 2 more trips already planned.

So, yes planning is crazy! Do you already have Fastpasses booked? If not, do so! You prebook 3, then after you use those, you will be able to get a 4th and beyond. When you are picking a 4th, you can refresh the screen and more times will pop up, sometimes for rides that are already full for fastpasses earlier in the day.

Dining reservations-most are needed, especially for the most in demand sit down restaurants. They may be full now, but check the night before. People book bunches as backups but cancel the day before to avoid a no-show fee.

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions! I did tons and tons of research before our trip and it turned out great, even though we had 2 days cancelled due to hurricane! Email is just my full name at g mail.

Karen says:

Reserve as much as you can in advance but then just roll with it. You will NEVER see the park in one trip so plan on one or two parks and see the highlights. The Disney cruise is great and the best time to see characters so you do not need to spend time trying to do it in the park. When we went they had a table set up in the Atrium every afternoon with characters and the kids should get their signatures then. And picture ops all over the ship. Again, do the highlights and don’t make yourself crazy trying to do it all. Once you have tasted Disneyland you will definitely need to go back to it.

Now is the best time for the kids to miss school. As they get older it is harder and harder but up until 5th grade my daughter was able to make up the work without an issue and I would have her to a report to give to the teacher on our return. She got a great grade on a report she did after our trip to England (which was taken during school time)! HAVE FUN!!!!

– Rain ponchos (cheap off amazon or Walmart) for the parks.
– 2 pairs of comfortable sneakers for the parks (2 in case it rains one day)
– Autograph books and a fat sharpie for character signing (easier for characters to hold)
– Lanyards for the cruise
– Pirate stuff to dress up for pirate night on the cruise
– Band-aids
– Hand sanitizer
– A spare gift card or library card (the lights in the cruise room are activated by a card – easier not to have to use your cruise ID)
– A nightlight for cruise room bathroom
– Gallon-sized ziplock bags for wet stuff
– Lots of sunscreen

Michelle says:

If you guys want to go on the best rides with short waits, the most important thing you can do is get to the parks BEFORE they open. If you don’t have fastpasses reserved for Flight of Passage, Frozen, or 7 Dwarfs Mine Train, it is the only way you will get on without an hour+ wait. Don’t forget that once you have used your three scheduled fastpasses, you can start booking more one at a time.

Check out the Touringplans.com website. They are the authors of the Disney travel “bible” – The Unofficial Guide to Disney World. They are statistical wizards that offer touring plans that can save you TONS of time (they’ve been featured in NYT, Wired, and several other publications for their work). Their website also has an awesome reservation finder if you are hoping to eat at a restaurant that is already booked up. We have even used it to score last minute reservations at Be Our Guest. They also have an awesome app that will give you more accurate wait times than the ones that Disney posts because they crowdsource the information.

The best fan blog in my opinion is Disney Tourist Blog. They have done everything Disney under the sun, including Disney Cruises, and all of their posts are loaded with beautiful photography, in depth analysis, and great advice.

nancy says:

cameras for the kids to use. we took my niece and nephew when they each turned 5 to disney and got disposable cameras for them (it was many years ago). we made up photo albums for them with the pictures they took and some of ours mixed in. they took some awesome pictures no one else did. there are even shots of family members that normally are taking the pictures which was so much fun

MB says:

All that homeopathic stuff is cute but doesn’t work for people with actual motion/car/seasickness. The patch from your doctor is great, but is intense. Definitely won’t feel seasick but maybe light headed, and tiiiiired. Dramamine is good, but I’d go with Bonine over Dramamine. Much less sleepy side effects and I did an entire Alaskan cruise, including some rocky bits, and felt fine the whole time. (For a baseline, I can’t read in cars, and get a little queasy on most airplanes.) Bonine has been a LIFE SAVER.

For the cruise/packing, I highly recommend bringing duffel bags versus hard sided luggage if you have them. State rooms are small, and you can usually shove stuff under the beds, but it helps if your suitcase isn’t enormous.

Other cruise advice is to bring little tote bags for everyone to carry their own stuff. It’s kind of a hike back to your room if you forget your book/crayons/whatever, so nice to have a smaller bag to just bop around the ship.

Lisa says:

I live in Florida and have been to Disney many times. I highly recommend the fast passes because the lines are very long. Disney overwhelms me, they should really limit the amount of people they allow in is my main thought when I am there. While it is super fun to watch the kids go nuts, it is hot and exhausting. Go to as many of the indoor things they offer for kids as you can, the shows and 3D films as they are super cute and they have A/C!! My daughter went on the Tower of Terror for the first time when she was 4. And I was nervous since I knew what was about to happen. She came off of it beginning to cry as we walked, and I said jokingly “the line is short, should we go back on?” And she looked at me through her scared tears, and said YES!! We went two more times and she talks about it to this day, she is 10. She LOVES that ride! Space Mountain is awesome and Thunder Mountain and the Haunted House are favorites as well. There is a Little Mermaid ride that we waited in line forever for, and it was not worth it, very short. The Tea Cups are always a hit, as well as Peter Pan and its A Small World, of course! Have fun and don’t forget to seek out the A/C, water and ice cream!!

Jenny says:

How fun! We are going to Disney in June and I have been thinking about doing a countdown. But it is still over 100 days away. I will be interested to hear how James does on Tower of Terror. I am still deciding if I will let my son who is about the same age go on it.

Heather says:

I still cry when I see photos from our Disney Cruise. It was the most AMAZING WEEK EVER and we were totally spoiled every single second and if I could have a Groundhog Week, that is the week I would choose.

Because we don’t have kids, having a good time and drinking were some nice priorities for us. But we also met so many parents who had ditched their kids and were drinking and hanging with us! The best.

So, with that:

1. We saved a tonnnn of money packing up some Rum Runners. All of our group got everything on board. Buy on Amazon, hide in pant legs, roll up in clothes, etc. You’ll have to check it and cross your fingers, but my Rum Runners have never failed in three cruises.

2. Every day, they have a drink special that’s a little cheaper than the other options.

3. Get to know a bartender and go to them all the time and if they’re any good, they’ll start making your drinks a little stronger because they love you so much and you tip well.

4. There is no Dole Whip on the cruise! Womp.

I can’t think of any other real tips. Disney will give you whatever you want when you want it.

Madeleine says:

Tower of Terror is AWESOME. You should definitely do the Toy Story Ride as well as Hollywood Studios. We are annual pass holders and go to Disney World quite often. I am the official Disney planner for friends and family and love giving people advice on times and places to visit. My boys, 7 and 11 love EPCOT, but I think its because they have been brainwashed by the adults. Adults love walking the countries in World showcase and tasting drinks from around the world. There is so much to do that it is basically impossible to get it all done in 4 days. I recommend the kids looking up which rides they really want to experience and then try to get fast-passes for those. Have a great time!!

Nancy says:

We have gone on a Disney cruise in the past (our kids are teens). For us, that was a fun thing to do once. I also have motion sickness and wore sea bands for a while, but didn’t have any trouble on the cruise.

For your days in the parks, especially with kids, we have found it works well to get up and get moving early, especially if you have a plan in place. Then when you run out of steam mid-day, go back to your hotel and rest, swim, snack, or do whatever you need to recharge, and then consider heading back into the parks. Especially if you want to see fireworks or a light show, it’s a good way to do it without being so tired that everyone is miserable by evening.

Nancy says:

In Animal Kingdom, there is a large area where the kids can dig in the sand for dino bones. It is a great change of pace and loads of fun for the kids. And nice for the adults to rest and watch. I think there is a bridge/walkway between two sections so you’ll want to keep tabs on James!

Kendra says:

Cruise ships are a breeding ground for the Noro virus. Try to touch as little as possible on the ship and keep your hands away from your face. If you think you’ve come down with the Noro virus, do NOT go to the ship’s doctor. You will be quarantined for the remainder of the cruise and not allowed to leave the ship. The virus usually passes in 24 hours, and even if you feel well enough to leave the ship, you can’t. We found this out the hard way. My then husband caught the Noro virus and I got to spend my birthday sightseeing alone in Mexico.

Kirsten says:

I agree with the patch from the Dr. Remember it has to be put on before you get on the boat for full effect. The only side effect our family had was we were very thirsty. It was fine though as being in the heat and sun we needed the extra fluids. We got the patch for the whole family since we had never been on a cruise before and it worked well for all of us.

Rebecca says:

See if you can get a reservation at Palo on the ship. Dinner or brunch is amazing!!

Let the kids spend as much time as they want at the kids clubs — they’ll love it and you’ll get some relaxation time. I hear parents say, “I want to spend time with my kids” — yes but you’ll have more fun if they are doing what they want to do!

Melanie says:

twingles says:

Download Birbbaum’s app. They also wrote the Unofficial Guide to Disney World….which you should read if you get the chance. They cut through all the Disney hoopla. It is WELL WORTH it. Have a great time (is james tall enough for Tower of Terror?)

Mikaela says:

We just did a Disney Cruise the week before Christmas for our family Christmas gift. Best gift ever! We booked for the same week for next Christmas. With only cruising for 3 days, you’ll probably feel crunched for time….. pick and choose your top activities each day and if all goes well, book a placeholder for your next cruise before you disembark. The placeholder will give you 10% off your next cruise. Check the kids into the kids’ club and enjoy some of the adults only areas on the ship- Palo brunch is amazing if you can get reservations. Relax and have a wonderful time.

Laurie Z says:

We have been on 5 disney cruises and just want to tell you to get off the ship as soon as it is docked at Castaway Cay. It is the best island I have ever been to and my kids had to be dragged away from it. If they built a hotel there, we would spend the whole week. The BBQ lunch they serve on the island is great. Trust me…you won’t regret getting up and off the ship as early as you can. Have a great time. Can’t wait to read about it!

Allie Parvaz says:

Oh and one more thing-if any cast or crew members do anything particularly nice for you, PLEASE tell someone about it. I am not a current cast member but I am a former one, and the only way that these hardworking people get the recognition they deserve is if a guest notices. This is especially true on cruise lines, where their financial bonuses and hours off per week are entirely determined by guest feedback.

I’ve been reading your blog for years and I’m SO happy you’re gonna be on my home turf, if I still worked at Disney I’d offer you some of my free tickets, but alas I am no longer magical feel free to ask me questions though!

Holly says:

I just got back from a WDW trip with my 1 and 4 year olds. It was exhausting and so much fun. I know lots of people have suggested getting to the parks early for the rides. I didn’t have that planned since my kids were younger, but I did reserve character breakfasts almost every morning between 8:30am-9am EST. I would never do that again! We live in Moutain Standard Time and I wasn’t thinking about this when making the reservations. Getting everyone up and ready, transported to the parks, going through bag check and ticket check left me feeling like a stressed out maniac every morning. Night times were great because the kids regular bedtimes were like 10pm in EST but the mornings were tough.

Kelly TKelly says:

I haven’t been on a Disney cruise (yet!), but I’ve been to Disney World many times. Book your fastpasses as soon as you’re allowed to. It’s a little strange to pre-plan your days – since it’s vacation – but it’s SO worth it.
Also… Snacks and ponchos are essential! Hit the dollar store before you go.

Kelly T says:

One more thing I just thought of… Character breakfasts are the way to go if you want to meet characters for pictures and/or autographs. No waiting in line or using up a fastpass. Plus – there’s food!
Have an awesome trip!

Kristen says:

How exciting! I am surprising my oldest daughter with a trip to Disney World for just the two of us. This will be her high school graduation gift from us. I am so excited, but we are trying to keep it a secret. I have four daughters, so it will be so fun to be able to spend some one on one time with her before she is off to college next year. I can’t wait to hear about your trip, and especially the cruise.